I sold my Explorer. I know. Big deal. Except God has used the vehicle in my life since 2005. I know my Explorer . . . ZRG as we call it . . . the first three letters of my license plate. It serviced me well. Our family and friends traveled the road together in it. My kids and grandbabies have touched my heart in it, telling me about the details of their hopes, dreams, and hurts. I’ve given people rides in it, prayed with them, telling them about the “God of more.” When you get down to it, ZRG became a tangible sacred space in my life to do God’s business.

But the move to Brookings meant I needed to find a vehicle with better gas mileage and a minimal price tag to travel the road to Brookings and wherever else God might direct me.

I’m surprised, as always, how God worked the details out.

(So. Keep reading.)

Our friend, Tim, had been trying to sell a vehicle for a family. He prayed, asking God who needed the car. Tim is a pastor who supports his family by selling cars.

Then, we told him about our need.

Side note: He’s always been willing to help us with our vehicle. Our favorite story is when it began to make an unusual “creaking” sound when I put the gas on or braked. No one, including a mechanic, could find the source of the problem. After a few months, I told Tim about the problem. He drove ZRG for only a few minutes and not only found the source of the problem but fixed it. He came to my office, returned my keys, and presented me with my spare set of “pastor” clothes, which hung in the back of the vehicle on a wooden hanger. The wooden hanger had been the source of the problem. Mystery solved.

At the end of the day, there’s more wooden-hanger problems in life than unsolvable issues.

I knew the car Tim told us about was for me. I had the knowing which comes with complete peace. There was no reason to be anxious even though I could not purchase it until I sold ZRG. And. I had peace that God would work out the details.

The thing is . . . I did not know my friends had loaned one of their vehicles to a friend who had been in a horrible accident . . . unbelievably, another accident occurred and my friends’ vehicle was totaled. Of course, their friend was devastated about totaling the car despite their reassurances. The insurance company gave them a specific amount of money. They needed a vehicle for the specific amount and had been praying about finding an Explorer.

My brother, Kelly, encouraged me to post the information about my car. I sent the link to some of my friends, including my friends who had been praying. And, within minutes of deciding to sell, my trusty vehicle was sold. They were amazed when they found out I was selling the Explorer for the exact amount they had prayed about. Only God.

It’s not about vehicles. It’s about God, who works in the smallest and greatest details to make a way for all of us . . . my brother, Tim, the family Tim represented, my friends and their friend . . . and all of the people we will encounter on the road ahead.

The key is to trust. Whatever must be managed . . . whatever must be faced . . . whatever seems too difficult . . . God has a solution and will work out the details. Always.

It’s what is written in Proverbs, the book of Wisdom:

Place your trust in the Eternal; rely on Him completely;

never depend upon your own ideas and inventions.

Give Him the credit for everything you accomplish,

and He will smooth out and straighten the road that lies ahead (Proverbs 3:5-6, The Voice).

These words need to be reviewed and received on a daily basis. No one could give us better counsel than what Proverbs 3:5-6 say.

Trust in the Eternal. God is always present and at work in every detail.

Rely on God. Lean into God not the problem.

Refuse to depend on what you think might happen but rather trust God to smooth out and straighten the road that lies ahead.

So.

Stop a moment.

Take a breath.

Choose to trust God.

It matters–Kerrie

P.S. I hope you can come tomorrow for the series, FOLLOW. Tomorrow’s message is about the day in the life of Jesus in Mark 1, entitled JUST CALL IT A DAY.

You are invited:

Sunday, August 17 at 10:45 AM

South Salem Nazarene Church 1661 Boone Rd SE Salem, OR 97306

(Go south on Commercial and turn left before it intersects on Kuebler at Arby’s on Boone Road. From I5 south, take the Kuebler exit, turn right and turn right on Stroh (third right after exit), left on Boone Rd.)

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One thought on “The Road Ahead . . . Brookings . . . Wherever”

Oh my goodness, this is perfect! I have been struggling so much with the many things going on at school and trying to figure out how to fix them. I don’t need to worry, I just need to give them to God, and trust Him.
Thank you so much for your message today! I am going to put the scripture on my wall at school, and read it every morning before I pray for my day.
Miss you…Diane